Orange grad Payton Wilson drafted in the third round by the Steelers

Payton Wilson, a former star at Orange High School and at NC State, is officially an NFL player. Wilson was selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 98th overall pick.

The 6-foot-4, 233-pound linebacker made headlines when he clocked a 4.43 40-yard dash at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.

Wilson will join former North Carolina high school standout Alex Highsmith in Pittsburgh.

At Orange, Wilson played all over the field. He rushed for 978 yards and 11 touchdowns over his final two seasons. He also caught 28 passes for 568 yards and eight touchdowns. Defensively, Wilson recorded 266 total tackles, 70 tackles for a loss, 24 sacks, and two interceptions over 26 games.

It was a long journey for Wilson after he graduated from Orange High School in 2018. Wilson battled multiple knee and shoulder injuries while he was with the Wolfpack. When he was healthy, he was one of the best linebackers in the country. Wilson was First-team All-ACC in 2020, when he ranked fourth in the FBS with 108 tackles. Last fall, Wilson was named a First-team AP All-American and won the Bednarik and Butkus awards.

The Wilson Family is not new to the draft experience, as Payton's older brother Bryse was drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB Draft. Bryse is now a pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers.